Palatkik

The Mauritanian [2021] Mohamedou Salahi fights for his freedom after being detained, imprisoned and tortured without charge by the U.S. Government for fourteen years in Gitmo until his release in 2016. Based on his true biography, though there are some good performances here, the story seems to be told in such an uninspired way.

The Comey Rule [2020 TV limited series] Not much to like about this Hollywood cheese. Former FBI Dir. James Comey, on whose book this is based, and President Donald Trump are portrayed in this two part series of the story of two powerful men, whose strikingly different ethics and loyalties put them on a collision course. We all know how it goes, so why bother?

Had me hooked from the opening scene:

Sound Of Metal [2019] Recently came out in 2020, a heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing. One of the years best and a most stunning and emotive film depiction of deafness there is. Worth seeing.

Luxor [2020] When a British aid worker returns to the ancient city of Luxor, she meets a former lover. An impressive low key drama to be admired for its depth of emotions with few words spoken amongst stunning Egyptian scenery.

Dad's Army The Lost Episodes [2019] There were nine series of eighty episodes made of this famous TV comedy that ran from 1968 to 1977. Three episodes from the second series were lost from archive for ever and never seen again since first shown on TV in 1969. This three part series made in 2019 remakes the missing episodes and scenes using the original scripts but with new actors that is more interesting than funny in the modern age appearing overly slapstick.

I Care A Lot [2021] A crooked legal guardian who drains the savings of her elderly wards meets her match when a woman she tries to swindle turns out to be more than she first appears in a highly entertaining black comedy of people doing nasty things to each other with a mesmerizing lead performance.

Supernova [2020] A musician and his writing partner, badly suffering from dementia, are both traveling across the picturesque English Lake District in their old camper-van to visit friends, family, and places from their past before facing the inevitable. Two actors at their peak and a delicate script ensure this never descends into anything too histrionic in this fairly average made for TV style drama.

Two Weeks To Live [2020 TV series] A woman sets out on a secret mission to honor her father, who died under mysterious circumstances when she was a young girl. This is a six part series of 24 minutes episodes of entertaining lightweight black humor set in the north of England. Great to wind down to.

The Way I See It [2020] The former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza's journey as a person with top secret clearance and total access to the US President who later makes a name trolling Trump with on social media with the way he sees it. Politics aside, it's an MSNBC production in an election year after all, its still an interesting photographic documentary that shows some candid behind the scenes and historical images from Souza's work with the Reagan and Obama administrations.

Judas and the Black Messiah [2021] The biopic of soon to be father Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal aged just twenty by FBI informant William O'Neal. Some powerful performances in an top movie with excellent soundtrack, the story is a downer but it is what it is.

76 Days [2020] Raw and intimate, this excellent documentary by the American MTV channel captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic inside a Wuhan hospital during the first 76 days. Full of high emotions and selfless acts to restore faith in humanity this is worth seeing.

The Undoing [2020 TV limited series] A modern "whodunnit" tale, when the life of a wealthy New York therapist turns upside down after she and her family get involved with a murder case where the husband is the prime suspect. The star cast might be off putting to some looking for originality, but they greatly add to make a very watchable twisting thriller although the end comes across a little cheesy for some tastes. Worth seeing.

Uncle Frank [2020] In 1973, when Frank and his 18-year-old niece take a road trip from New York to Creekville, South Carolina, for the family patriarch's funeral, they're unexpectedly joined by Frank's lover, Walid. A fairly mundane melodrama about the bigotry of the day with some laughs and mostly of note for a good performance by Bettany who is rarely seen these days.

Saint Maud [2019] Only recently out on digital platforms, this physiological horror debut set in a British seaside resort town follows a pious nurse who becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient. Even those not into the movie genre should go for this which is one of the best horror flicks in years, as memorable as the Exorcist.

Rams [2020] A decades-long feud between two sheep farming brothers comes to a head when disease strikes their flocks and one of the brothers attempts to outwit the authorities over a two year ban. This enjoyable, uncomplicated Australian drama-comedy is a remake of the recent award winning 2015 Icelandic film.

Assassins [2020] An account of the two women convicted of assassinating Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia. The film follows the women's trials in an attempt to understand whether they are trained killers or simply pawns. An engrossing documentary showing the bizarre story as the investigation unfolded.

The Dig [2021] Based on a true story set just as Britain goes to war with the Germans in 1939, an excavator and his team discover a wooden ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a burial ground on a woman's estate. This is a very English style drama that starts well and is more memorable for the two strong leads rather than any archaeological digs but gets somewhat lost in a disappointingly schmaltzy Hollywood mainstream style production with an unnecessary romantic subplot.

The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Gameshow Killer [2021] Interesting one hour documentary on the making of the The Pembrokeshire Murders series includes interviews of the real police and forensics team about the Welsh 80's serial killer, with close up scenes of the game show competitor before he murdered.

The Pembrokeshire Murders [2021 TV limited series] Another TV series from ITV UK about real British murderer dramas, this is a well told and acted three part story of a detective superintendent who reopens two unsolved murder cases from the 1980s in South Wales. Newer forensic methods link the crimes of murder and rape to a string of burglaries and ends with the suspect in a tense courtroom showdown. Known as the Game Show killer, for having appeared beforehand on a national TV game show, the clips of which were used to identify his appearance of the time as part of the conviction. Worth seeing.

The White Tiger [2021] Entertaining rags to riches story based on the book of the same name set in India, this is a slick, well acted account of a poor driver with smarts who breaks free from servitude and the caste system. Worth seeing.

Baby Done [2021] Run of the mill Kiwi RomCom about a young women champion tree surgeon who gets pregnant with her partner too soon in life. Feel good fluff suitable for all ages. Of interest as its one of the few movies to come out of New Zealand.